June 17, 2015

This is a deep, stinging indictment of the education system from a teacher’s point of view.

The Other Side of Teaching, by Evelyn Uddin-Khan, is an emotional look at the trenches of education from a veteran teacher.

Uddin-Khan has a doctorate in comparative and international education, lending her book a broad perspective and deep insight, but the heart of her understanding is intensely personal.

The book examines teaching conditions, internal and external politics, and the shifting balance of power in education. The first two parts of the book share stories from her teaching experience. The third part discusses policy problems specifically, but her experience is critical to her insights. The fourth part gives the author’s view of the positives of the teaching profession, such as the students themselves and friendships with other teachers.

It’s clear through her sincerity and intensity that Uddin-Khan loves teaching and students. But the depth of her love makes her hurt deeper. After years of service, being essentially demoted made her feel like a commodity to the school system—a system that she already felt didn’t give teachers their due respect. Her pain and anger are quite understandable, but at times they overshadow the ideas she wants to present.

Her discussion of policy and problems with the system is best suited for those who have a relatively good grasp of the education system: She begins, “It is obvious that education policy in its present form is excluding the majority of poor and middle-income children from receiving the education they deserve.” For some teachers, parents, and concerned citizens, Uddin-Khan’s ire will fuel desire for change.

But those unfamiliar with the day-to-day realities of the teaching profession will find her experience eye-opening and even shocking (such as how verbal and physical abuse from students goes unaddressed by administration and parents), prompting the question, “It can’t possibly be that bad, right?”—a question that Uddin-Khan hopes will encourage people to take a deeper look at education.

The cover and back panel copy don’t fully show how personal and emotional the book is. They set a more academic expectation that may make Uddin-Khan’s earnest and sometimes angry voice jarring. The Other Side of Teaching is an inside look at the education system through one teacher’s tell-all point of view.

June 15, 2015

See the PA first, if she thinks anything is wrong you’ll get to see the doctor. Oh! She’ll give you a prescription for pain killers, even if you don’t need it.

Has American health care and the medical profession plummeted to a new low? The first time this happened, I was left with a crippled hand. The second time I was given a month’s supply of pain killers that addicts kill for. This is the third time and I have some questions.

A Physician’s Assistant is called a PA.

First PA: A year ago I broke my hand. The orthopedic surgeon fixed up the bones and told the PA to put the cast on my hand. The caste was on too tight. They saw me weekly but did nothing. After six weeks of suffering with blue and swollen fingers I now have a crippled hand.

Second PA: Some weeks ago, I woke up with back pain and unable to move my legs. Could not get out of bed or walk. The ambulance took me to the ER. A few days later my doctor sent me to a spine specialist for an evaluation. At the appointment I did not see the specialist, but the PA interviewed me. She sent a prescription (signed by my unknown doctor) to a pharmacy in another state that sent me a month’s supply of pain killers which arrived at my home via UPS. Each pill contained 825 ml of Iboprofen and 26 ml of something else. I threw them out.

[Why didn’t they give me the prescription to change at my local pharmacy?]

Third PA: Forty-one years ago I broke my knee in a car accident. It was operated on, healed well and never gave me a problem. This past winter it has been painful to the point of sleepless nights and limping days. I went to the doctor. He ordered an orthopedic evaluation and told me to go to the same group of swindlers as above (second PA).

I called for an appointment and was told that the first visit was with a PA and then I will see the doctor on a follow-up visit. I called my doctor and asked him to recommend another specialist. He did. I called the second specialist he recommended and was told that they only accept “New Injuries”. Upon enquiries, I found out that “new injuries” and billing the insurance companies are profitable, whereas 41 year old injuries were not “treated” at their office.

The question is: How does one get to see a specialist or any doctor without going to or through the PA? This is a new experience for me. Is this the new trend in medicine? Trying to see a spine or knee doctor is like trying to get an appointment with the President or the Queen of England.

Who are these doctors anyway? And what is the function of the PA? I never realized that PAs can diagnose spinal problems or determine how to fix a knee gone old and arthritic.

In England GPs still make house calls.

In America, the PAs interview the patients, the doctors sign prescriptions not knowing what’s wrong with the patient, the prescriptions go to another part of the country to be filled and then delivered by post. The insurance gets billed and the patient continues to suffer not knowing what’s wrong with her spine or knee, but has tons of pain killers to put her to sleep.

Someone out there please help me. I need to know how the new doctor / patient / American medicine relationship work.